In 1965, the period life expectancy for 65-year-old Americans was 12.9 years for males and 16.3 years for females. By 2014, these figures had risen to 18.1 years for males and 20.6 years for females. This amounts to a 40% increase in the time spent collecting Medicare benefits for males and a 26% increase for females. As these life expectancies have increased, the age at which people become eligible for Medicare has not increased.